Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a pioneering crowdfunding platform founded in 2009 by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler. Operating as a Public Benefit Corporation, it has revolutionized how creative projects secure funding by connecting creators with backers worldwide. The platform specializes in funding creative endeavors across categories including technology, design, film, music, art, theater, games, comics, journalism, food, and publishing. Unlike traditional investment models, Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing funding approach where projects must reach their financial goals within a set timeframe to receive funds, ensuring backer commitments translate into viable projects. This model has successfully funded over 250,000 projects with more than $8 billion pledged by over 23 million backers globally. Notable successes include the Pebble smartwatch, Oculus Rift VR headset, Coolest Cooler, and the Veronica Mars movie. The platform operates on a 5% fee on successfully funded projects, with additional payment processing fees. Kickstarter has maintained its commitment to creative independence by remaining founder-controlled and rejecting acquisition offers, while implementing policies like banning AI-generated content and deepfake projects to preserve human creativity. Its impact extends beyond funding, fostering communities around niche interests and enabling diverse voices in creative industries.